Montgomery County Public Schools Suddenly Introduces 8th Grade PSAT… Becoming a Variable in High School Specialized Program Admissions

Free administration for all 8th graders on October 14… The 'higher score' will be used compared to MAP tests

Used as selection criteria for newly established programs across 6 regional areas… PTA points out "confusion caused by sudden announcement"

Montgomery County Public Schools (Montgomery County Public Schools) will administer the PSAT 8/9 exam to all eighth-grade students this year and will use the results as an evaluation factor for admissions to its newly established Regional Programming Model high school programs.

MCPS officials announced that the "PSAT 8/9" assessment, administered by the College Board, will be conducted on Wednesday, October 14, for all eighth graders across the county. No separate registration process is required as the school district will register students automatically, and the testing fee will be fully covered by existing PSAT/SAT-related budgets.

The results of this exam will be used as one of the admissions criteria for major high school application programs within MCPS, excluding the arts. Niki Porter, Chief Academic Officer (CAO) of MCPS, emphasized at the Board of Education meeting on the 10th that "we plan to use the higher score between the existing state standardized MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) test and this PSAT 8/9 for admissions," adding, "It is not an absolute criterion where pass or fail is determined by just a single test."

However, concerns are emerging among educators and parents over the sudden introduction of the policy. Brigitte Howe, president of the Montgomery County Council of Parent-Teacher Associations (MCCPTA), pointed out, "While offering the test itself is positive, the lack of clear guidelines on how scores will be specifically used and the inconsistent information provided by individual schools are compounding parents' anxiety and confusion."

Meanwhile, the MCPS Board of Education approved the "Six Regional High School Program Reorganization Plan" submitted by Superintendent Thomas Taylor last March. Under this reorganization plan, high schools across the county will be divided into six regional areas, with each school operating one to two specialized programs among five major themes.

The new admissions system will be fully applied starting with current eighth graders for the 2026-2027 academic year, while currently enrolled high school students will be grandfathered in (Legacy Cohort) until graduation.